January 16, 2004
PREDICTABLE
Earlier this week, The New York Times ran an article on Subaru's
decision to
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/13/automobiles/13SUBA.html">modify
its Outback sedan in order to make it a light truck, which exempts
it from more exacting fuel economy standards.
Subaru's strategy highlights what environmentalists,
consumer groups and some politicians say is a loophole in the fuel
economy regulations that has undermined the government's ability to
actually cut gas consumption. The average fuel economy for new vehicles
is lower now than it was two decades ago, despite advances in fuel-
saving technology.
This is a classic case of unintended, but predictable,
consequences. I think a lot of consumer demand for light trucks like
extended cab pickups and SUVs has to do with the increasing flimsiness
of sedans that meet today's mileage regulations. You can put all the
safety geegaws and gimcracks you want--like airbags and OnStar systems
that automatically phone 911 when your head is mounted on your
dashboard--but most people understand that surviving a car crash is
mostly a matter of physics. If you're encased in a light-weight car
composed of a plastic and light-weight aluminum body, you're going to
get creamed when involved in a serious accident. With reasonably
sturdy sedans ruled illegal through fuel economy standards, many
consumers--wealthy consumsers that can afford them--are opting for more
expensive SUVs or light trucks. That these may prove more dangerous to
their owners through rollover risk or to other drivers via reduced
visibility on the road is an ironic side effect. SUV haters have only
themselves to blame for the vehicles' incredible popularity. Mandating
ever-stricter fuel economy standards has driven increasing numbers of
drivers out of their formerly sturdy sedans and into the barreling
behemoths that are now so loudly decried. Tagged:
Posted by Lexiphane at January 16, 2004 10:05 AM
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